A Minute of Vision for Men: 365 Motivational Moments to Kick-Start Your Day

By Roger Patterson

Do you have a vision for your life?
All of us need a compelling vision to live for. Scripture says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Today, so many of us are living on autopilot instead of engaging the battle of living up to our God-given potential. We lack a vision for life. Too often, we settle for less than what is best for us, our families, and our careers. We struggle with pinpointing our purpose in life.

A Minute of Vision for Men is an investment in a different sort of life—one with vision, purpose, and integrity. This book will help you connect with your purpose. It’s written so that you can start your day on the right foot, focused on what matters the most.

Start each day with a potent, daily dose of vision for your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781496417800

Book preview

January

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JANUARY 1

The Man You Were Meant to Be

Priorities matter. When our list of priorities puts us at the top of the food chain, things get out of line. But when God is our highest priority, the significance of our families and the proper order of the other things in our lives become clear.

In his book The Making of a Man, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown writes about his shifting priorities: My life was about more than me and football. My faith had matured and deepened. I’d always believed in God, but now I was fully committed to Him. As a husband and father, I became more devoted to my family than ever. I was becoming the man I was meant to be.[1]

Notice what the Bible says about the impact and fruit of a man whose priorities are in order. Psalm 1:1-3 states, "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the L

ORD

, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."

Becoming the man you are meant to be begins with reordering your priorities: God first, family second, career third. Enjoy the blessings that flow when you become the man you were meant to be. Remember, from proper priorities, proper choices flow. What are your priorities as you start off this year?

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the L

ORD

, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

PSALM 1:1-3

JANUARY 2

A Personal Training Plan

In his book The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge, Tony Dungy talks about the importance of having self-control, being disciplined, getting into shape, and committing to a plan. As a player at training camp, Dungy was amazed by how some of the other players would show up out of shape and unprepared.[2] In the same way athletes train their bodies to be able to run faster and lift more weight, as leaders of our families, we need to train ourselves to be better men.

First Corinthians 9:27 says, I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

How are you training to be the better husband, father, friend, or employee that you long to be? Making time for reading Scripture, praying, and exercising is a good starting point. Many guys I know also meet together in a weekly small group setting to fellowship and sharpen one another.

Being the man you were meant to be takes the intentional discipline of an athlete training for competition.[3] Don’t let up, and do your best not to go it alone. Develop a plan, and stick to the plan so that you will be ready for the challenges of each day.

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:27

JANUARY 3

Everybody Needs a Coach

Everybody needs a coach. I realized that fact the other day when I was lying flat on my back, doing reverse crunches. You see, without my coach, I wouldn’t do reverse crunches.

Tom Landry, the Dallas Cowboys head coach for nearly thirty years, said, The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be. Inherent in this quote is the admission that men don’t always want to pay the price necessary to become who they are destined to be. Additionally, we don’t always know what to change or even how to make the changes that are necessary to grow. Coaches can see these deficiencies and challenge us.

Proverbs 13:20 states, Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Who we associate with informs what we become. If you want to be wise and excel, find someone who has been where you want to go. Look for godly qualities in his life. When you find a coach, listen to him, and begin to implement his counsel. As you walk through life, consider the company you keep, and make the adjustments in those relationships so that nothing holds you back from becoming the man that God is calling you to be.

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

PROVERBS 13:20

JANUARY 4

Success Is an Action

Personal-development expert Darren Hardy says, Action is the great separator. I’ve had a million good ideas, but they are just that—ideas. Until you put it on paper, map it out, and commit to a plan of action, you just have an idea. Once you get it on paper, you then have to execute it. Until you take action, you are no different from the next person who is excited about some idea.

People who are successful are willing to take action. But they don’t just take any action—they take the right action.

While getting my doctorate, I learned the importance of taking the right action. Before I could write my doctoral thesis, I had to write a prospectus. This thirty-five-page paper was a road map of the action I was going to take to fulfill my idea that would contribute to the academic community. Fortunately, I had good advisers who assisted me and helped me know what needed to be included and what needed to be left out. After I got through this phase, I was allowed to continue writing my thesis. I’ll never forget finishing my oral defense of my thesis before three professors and hearing them say, Congratulations, Dr. Patterson.

Few characters in Scripture are as bold as Peter. Look at his boldness when he takes action to walk on water. Matthew 14:28-29 states, Peter called to him, ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.’ ‘Yes, come,’ Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

With the Lord’s permission, Peter experienced something no one else has. As John Ortberg says, If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. Action truly is the great separator.

Peter called to him, Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water. Yes, come, Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

MATTHEW 14:28-29

JANUARY 5

Success Is an Attitude

Winston Churchill once said, Attitude is the little thing that makes a big difference. In essence, Churchill was saying that our attitude controls the trajectory of each and every day of our lives. Our attitude, if not intentionally molded, will call us to a path of least resistance and minimal effort.

When I became the senior pastor of West University Baptist and Crosspoint Church, the first asset that I brought as the new leader of the congregation was an expectant attitude. Nearly six years later, I still sign every official correspondence with some form of the phrase Expecting Greater Things. Sometimes I sign with the words Still Expectant or Staying Expectant.

After being on staff for thirteen years and then becoming the senior leader of the church, I knew that if I didn’t insert an attitude that conveyed a bright future, I wouldn’t lead us very far. Before I took the reins, Dr. Barry Landrum had led us very effectively for thirteen years. We could have gotten comfortable and complacent, but I believed that God wanted to do more than we could ask, think, or imagine.

There are two key passages that inspire my expectant attitude. The first is John 14:12, which states, I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. These great works, which the New International Version calls greater things, aren’t works in greater quantity but quality.

The second passage that comes to mind is Ephesians 3:20-21: All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. These verses set the attitude of success in my heart and in our congregation.

All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

EPHESIANS 3:20-21

JANUARY 6

Success Is an Atmosphere

Today is my wife’s birthday. What a gift Julee is to me! I am thankful that I get to wake up with her every day. I am thankful that wherever I go in our home, I see her influence. She has created an amazing atmosphere for our family so that each member of our family can be successful.

Not only is success an action and attitude, but success is also an atmosphere. The successful people I know have this in common: they surround themselves with other successful people. They have a coach or mentor who has gone where they have yet to go. They learn from other successful people via podcasts or books. They are continually absorbing things that will help them grow. Somewhere along the way, these people figured out that to move beyond the crowd, they had to make some changes that would propel them forward. A major change that they have made is choosing the right companions for the journey.

One of the big ideas that I want my children to understand is the importance of surrounding themselves with the right friends. So I say to them, If you surround yourself with lazy people, you’ll be lazy. If you surround yourself with deceptive people, you will be deceptive. If those in your continual company are foolish, guess what? You, too, will be foolish.

You see, success is an atmosphere as much as it is an action or attitude. Surround yourself with the people who will not only push you, challenge you, and push you out of your comfort zone, but who also love the Lord and want to serve and please him. Remember again the words of Proverbs 27:17, which states, As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

PROVERBS 27:17

JANUARY 7

The Importance of Thinking Ahead

Wayne Gretzky once said, A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.

Customary advice says, Live in the present. The past is behind you, and the future is so uncertain. But living in the present can be quite difficult given all the distractions around us. While writing today’s devo, I have been interrupted by three text messages and one urgent e-mail. It’s easy to get distracted by that request we just received in an e-mail while working on our current task.

Although we don’t want to be distracted by the future, living in the present is best informed when we have a vision for our future. I settled the vision for my life on December 1, 2009. Julee and I were on a Royal Caribbean cruise, thirteen nautical miles off the coast of Cuba. I was enjoying the moment, for sure. But in that moment, I was also dreaming about how to live out my days and how to articulate that desire. It was on that ship that I decided how I was going to try to live what I call the exponential life. I want to live in such a way that how I lead, speak, and act can affect not only those in my own life but those in the age to come. When I invest in others who invest in others, the ripple effect is immeasurable in my life and in the generations that will follow.

Matthew 25:23 states, The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ I pray I hear these words, or something like them, from our Lord. Because of this vision, I can look back on days gone by and evaluate, look ahead in order to dream and plan, and make sure that I am using each moment I have been given for what matters most.

The master said, Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!

MATTHEW 25:23

JANUARY 8

Guard Your Heart

I wrote a book just for my son Brady when he turned thirteen, because I wanted to make sure he knew my heart, hopes, and expectations for him. I want to share the opening page of Thirteen Going on Eighteen: Becoming a Man of Influence with you, as I think it sets the tone for what it really takes to live a life that seeks to continually move forward:

Lou Holtz, legendary college football coach, once said, I can’t believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary. I agree wholeheartedly with Coach Holtz. You were put on this earth not to be ordinary but to be extraordinary.

Proverbs 4:23 states, Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Remember, you were put on this earth to be extraordinary, so I want to challenge you to guard your heart. Your heart is the totality of your mind, will, emotions, and expectations. In the Scriptures, your heart represents the depth of your gut or inner bowels. Sounds gross, doesn’t it?

In life, there will be moments when you are so disappointed that your gut actually aches. These moments of deep pain happen when you realize the depth of your mistakes or when someone hurts you to your core.

These moments happen with disappointment and when you come up short on a goal you have been pursuing. It is critical that you don’t allow these moments to define you and keep you down. In other words, when these gut-wrenching moments take place, do everything you can to not become embittered by them. Remember, your heart is the wellspring of your life. If it gets polluted, then your life will get bogged down. If you get bogged down, then you will fear moving forward. If you fear moving forward, you will never become the man you were created to be. So, if you want to be more than ordinary, begin and continue by guarding your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

PROVERBS 4:23

JANUARY 9

Knowing the Land

Ten thousand acres is hard to get your mind around. Ten thousand acres is the size of a ranch I visited when a friend took us deer hunting there. Twenty deer blinds are spread across the property for hunters to use as they harvest deer. The house on the ranch is built for large groups who come in and hunt together. The fire pit is one of the biggest I have ever seen!

On the first morning of our hunt, about an hour before the sun came up, we got into the Polaris and journeyed to the back of the property. It took us about thirty minutes to arrive at our destination. What impressed me most was that our host, who enjoys taking his family, his friends, and his clients hunting at this ranch, knew every turn to get there. He knew the land so well that he didn’t need the sunlight to show him which way to go.

As a leader, do you know the landscapes of your home, business, and community in this way? Do you know how to navigate difficult times because of the amount of time you have spent in the land and the way you have loved those around you?

Proverbs 27:23 states, Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds. Knowing the land, knowing the condition of your flocks, and knowing how to lead them well takes time and energy, but the effort is worth it.

Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds.

PROVERBS 27:23

JANUARY 10

The Peace of Christ at the Sock Hop

Free agency is a phenomenal tool for players in professional sports. In years past, once you were drafted, the team that picked you controlled your rights. That is why so many teams could establish long-standing dynasties, keeping their players all under one roof for multiple years. When free agency entered the game, enabling the players to get out onto the open market, the days of the dynasty were seemingly disrupted. This opened the door for players to seek the best fit for where they were in their careers.

A friend I saw at a daddy-daughter sock hop was weighing three different career opportunities. He was under pressure to pick between the three jobs, and I could see the angst on his face. When we spoke briefly, he told me that his decision was one hour overdue. I looked at him, called him by name, and said, Let the peace of Christ rule your heart. The next time I saw him at church, he said, On paper, I took the third-ranked opportunity. With the others, I felt sick to my stomach, and so I did what you said. This is the one where I had peace.

Remember, opportunity can create growth if we search things out. When it is decision time, consider Colossians 3:15, which states, Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.

COLOSSIANS 3:15

JANUARY 11

Running Five Miles

There are some guys who look like they were built to run. I am not one of them, but Mike Bonem is. He is tall, lean, and very fast. He ran cross-country at Rice University and is still a runner to this day. Mike and I had the privilege of serving on a church staff together for a number of years, and we even wrote a book together. He is a dear friend, and I am glad we got to run part of life’s race together.

Not built to run like Mike, I go out for jogs and have even worked my way up to running four or five miles at a time. To run that far, I have to frequently take on shorter distances and build up to a longer run. As I’ve jogged, I’ve learned that I get stronger when I am consistent. When I develop endurance little by little, I’m not as fatigued at the 3.5- and 4-mile marks of my longer runs.

Don’t you wish that you could develop endurance in just a short time? But it takes time to build endurance of any sort—physically, relationally, spiritually, or financially. Further still, the truth is that we won’t make it far in this life if we don’t develop endurance in these areas.

Romans 5:3-4 states, We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

When we choose to see each day as an opportunity to build endurance, we make deposits into our future. When the longer run comes, we will need to draw on that strength and use it to see us through. Build endurance today by challenging yourself—physically, relationally, spiritually, and financially.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

ROMANS 5:3-4

JANUARY 12

Stay Coachable

When I would get a whipping as a kid, my dad always took the opportunity to teach me afterward. Looking back, I remember how he would try to reinforce his love for me after the discipline. What makes me laugh today is that when I was a teenager, there were times when my dad would look at me and say, You’re not too big for a spanking.

Now as an adult, I may be too big for the form of discipline my father gave me, but I’m aware that I’m not too big to have a coach. To me, a coach is someone who has successfully played the position that I am playing. It is my desire to learn from my coach’s successes and failures and to try to implement the lessons I learn in my local context.

Dan Hall, president of On Course Solutions, has been my professional coach for nearly five years. Dan has pastored for many years in a variety of church settings. His wisdom, expertise, and insight have been a true blessing to me.

Coaches are blessings, but only if we stay coachable. If we aren’t coachable, we will hear them say, I tried to tell you that a few months back, and we will shake our heads, realizing that they were right. This has happened with me a few times since Dan began walking with me.

Listen to the affirmation the Bible gives to having a wise coach in your life. Proverbs 25:12 in the English Standard Version states, Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

Remember, you aren’t too big for discipline! Put your ear near a coach, and enjoy the growth that comes from his lessons.

Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

PROVERBS 25:12,

ESV

JANUARY 13

Keep the Momentum Going

With a 15–1 record, the Carolina Panthers secured the first seed of the NFC and clinched home-field advantage through the play-offs for the 2015–16 NFL season. After a bye week, the Seattle Seahawks came to Charlotte. Many touted this as the best play-off game of the weekend.

Though the Panthers had enjoyed a week off, they kept the mojo going. They jumped on the Seahawks, and before the Seahawks could get things figured out, the Panthers were up 31–0. It was reminiscent of the Giants versus Panthers game just a few weeks earlier in the regular season. As in the Giants game, the Seahawks were able to stifle the offense of the Panthers in the second half and make a game of it. The Seahawks had a great second half, although the game ended with a score of Panthers 31, Seahawks 24.

Keeping momentum in life requires a concentrated effort. It is natural for us, like the Panthers, to turn our focus and efforts in another direction when things are going well. We also have a tendency to coast. Paul, after encouraging Timothy as a gifted young pastor, challenged him to not let up on the progress he was making: Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:16). Momentum, when you lose it, is difficult to recapture. So, when you get it going, keep it going.

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

1 TIMOTHY 4:16

JANUARY 14

To Kneel or to Spike

In the heat of the moment, situational awareness sometimes gets lost. As the Washington Redskins were seeking to clinch the NFC East title in 2015, with six seconds remaining in the first half, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins mistakenly took a knee when he was supposed to spike the ball to stop the clock.

His mistake cost his team a guaranteed three points, because instead of stopping the clock, his actions ensured that the clock would run out. Cousins didn’t let his mistake ruin the rest of the game. He finished the day completing thirty-one of his forty-six pass attempts, throwing four touchdowns and passing for 365 yards. Fortunately, his mistake did not cost the team the game, as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–24. After the game, Cousins admitted that there was confusion on the play call and, in the moment, he made the wrong decision. He owned his mistake and focused on making things right in the second half.

How often do you make poor decisions when there is confusion and pressure? I am sure we can all relate to Cousins’s error because we have made our own. We have said things we wish we could take back. We have acted foolishly, hurting those we care about because of our selfishness and pride. If we make too many of these types of errors, it will certainly hurt the relationship, sometimes beyond repair. If you have made a poor decision recently and hurt someone you care about, humble yourself and seek his or her forgiveness.

Proverbs 6:2-3 tells us, If you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.

Admit you are wrong, seek forgiveness, and play a great second half with humility so that you can win the day.

If you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.

PROVERBS 6:2-3

JANUARY 15

Lessons from the Bengals

When the Pittsburgh Steelers were matched up with the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2015–16 AFC wild card game, the teams had a history of unsportsmanlike conduct on the field. But in spite of the bad blood between them, it was kept under the boiling point most of the game.

With the Steelers down by one point and two minutes to go, inexperienced Landry Jones stepped onto the field to run the two-minute offense for the Steelers. To Jones’s dismay, the nemesis of the Steelers offense, Bengals middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict, stepped in front of his pass and intercepted it, seemingly securing the win. Burfict and his buddies ran all the way to the opposite end of the field, through the end zone, and up into the tunnel as they celebrated what appeared to be a certain Bengals victory. But the game wasn’t over yet.

The Steelers regained possession, and after an effective drive and a couple of penalties handed to the Bengals for fouls, the Steelers were able to score, moving on in the play-offs and sending their rival into the off-season.

I believe the focus and self-control that Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis instilled in his players going into this game left his team when Burfict and his cronies were running up the tunnel with well over a minute and a half left to play.

Self-control is a must in athletics and in life. It is a shame that the uncontrolled actions of a few players cost so many other teammates, coaches, Bengal employees, and Cincinnati fans a magical season. The same could be said about the husband and father who gets caught up in adultery. All the years of investment into his wife, his kids, and his career can be gone with one moment that lacks self-control. Focused self-control is vital to be successful in a world full of temptation. Remember, it is always available to you. Second Timothy 1:7 states, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7

JANUARY 16

Revived by Failure

Michael Jordan once said, I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over. . . . And that is why I succeed. To Jordan, failure was fuel.

When Jesus’ disciple Peter failed, it was a big-time failure. After declaring that he would never betray Jesus, Peter caved to the pressure of the moment and denied Jesus three times after Jesus’ arrest.

What I want you to consider today is how Jesus met Peter in his failure. He didn’t tell Peter, Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. In this crisis, Jesus gave love and forgiveness to Peter and then expanded his vision.

John 21, which takes place after Jesus’ resurrection, shows Peter and the disciples out on the boat, throwing out their nets all night without any luck. When Jesus appears, he tells the disciples to cast the nets on the other side.

This is the second time we see Jesus telling the disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The first time happened at Peter’s calling. In the first story, the catch was so plentiful that the boats began to sink and the nets began to break. The second story records that 153 fish were caught because this time, the nets held.

After the disciples returned to shore, John 21 tells us that Jesus repeatedly asked Peter if he loved him. Verse 17 tells us, A third time [Jesus] asked him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Then feed my sheep.’

In Peter’s failure, Jesus met him at the place of his original calling to remind him that there was a bigger plan for his life. Don’t get stuck in your mistakes. Go back to that place where he called you, and meet with him again. You, too, will be humbled and amazed!

A third time [Jesus] asked him, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. Jesus said, Then feed my sheep.

JOHN 21:17

JANUARY 17

You Can’t Teach Tall

He’s six foot five at fourteen years of age. He is a great kid, a smart kid, and a talented athlete. He swims for a regional club here in Houston and plays for the parks-and-recreation basketball team I coach.

The problem, though, is that Daniel doesn’t yet realize his size. We have him in the middle because he is tall and can dominate the boards, but that only happens when he wants it to. His instincts tell him to take his game outside, but at this point, because of his size, he will have the most success if he stays in the post and learns to bang it out down low. Part of his problem is that he doesn’t yet know how tall he really is and how his height can help him dominate the middle. I tell him at every practice, Daniel, realize your size. Understand how God made you, and maximize that.

That’s good counsel for our everyday lives, isn’t it? When we realize how we have been created by God, and the way he has gifted us, we can play to our potential.

First Peter 4:10 states, God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. We still need to work on our weaknesses, but we also need to maximize our strengths. What gifts has God given you so that you can serve others? What is it that only you can bring to the team you are on? Stand up in that, because you can’t teach tall!

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 PETER 4:10

JANUARY 18

To Have Success, Give Your Life Away

The great Walter Payton, Super Bowl–winning running back for the Chicago Bears, once said, I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field. Payton had made the decision to give his time on the football field all that he had and was publicly declaring this pursuit. Ironically, Payton gave a tremendous amount outside football as well. His off-the-field contributions were so well known that the NFL Man of the Year award, given to a player who exhibits a humanitarian spirit off the field, was named for Payton after his death. Players who now receive this recognition receive the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Giving is a decision. Most people in life are takers, not givers. Takers get all they can, can all they get, and sit on the can. Takers are selfish people interested only in themselves. On some level we are all takers, aren’t we? It’s easy to take but difficult to give. Giving is an attitude that sees a greater purpose to life, and it begins with a decision point.

Proverbs 11:30 says, The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life. Make a decision to cast seeds of giving to, sharing with, and blessing those in need. Partner with organizations like the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and local missions. Look for children who don’t have a father, and see if there might be a way to mentor them. Find a widow in your community, and check on her. These are just a few ways to cast seeds of good deeds. Over time, they will become a tree of life so that others can find the comfort of the shade.

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life.

PROVERBS 11:30

JANUARY 19

More Knee Bend

When Tom Brady won his fourth Super Bowl, a note that he wrote to himself was found in his locker. It read, Bend knees more on drop. He knew that he needed to throw from a power position, so he repeated to himself over and over again the need for more bend in his knees.

When pundits comment on a quarterback’s throwing ability, they often talk about